Farming

The portions of Welaunee not undergoing urban development are actively managed by family-owned Powerhouse, Inc., as a farm. Agricultural activities include commercial timber operation.

Welaunee has an approved silvicultural management plan and a permit for selective clearing of trees and underbrush. Prescribed burning, selective harvesting of trees, and reforestation are being carried out by experienced contractors under the active supervision of Welaunee's manager.

Other active agriculture activities include cattle grazing, crop production, and wildlife management. Recently, sheep have been brought onto the property to control kudzu. Farming is expected to continue in the Arch - where the family retains its ancestral home -- even as the Toe and the Heel undergo urban development.

Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway

The Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway is a 503-acre linear park that runs 6.4 miles through the heart of Welaunee, along Miccosukee Road from Fleischmann Road to Crump Road. It provides recreational, educational and alternative transportation opportunities for the larger community and is the pre-eminent recreational facility for new communities on Welaunees's Toe and Heel.

The Trust for Public Land and the management of Powerhouse worked for two years with the State of Florida's Office of Greenways and Trails to make the Greenway a reality. These efforts included prepraration of a conceptual development plan, sponsored by the family, to guide long-term development of this unique resource. The State aquired the property in 1998, and the Greenway was born. Leon County entered into a 50-year lease for management of the Greenway and has adopted a management plan which reflects participation by the Friends of the Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway and a 12-member public advisory group.

Access to the Greenway is provided from a parking area on Fleischmann Road and at the intersection of Edenfield Drive and Miccosukee Road. Activities include hiking, bird watching, picnicking, and other passive recreational activities. Planned uses include walking, biking, skating, horseback riding, and natural science and resource management education.

Planned improvements include:

• Multi-use loop trails that will meander and traverse the length of the Greenway
• Parking areas at Fleischmann, Edenfield, Thornton and Crump roads
• A butterfly meadow with benches, a gazebo, interpretive signage, and plantings of native vegetation
• Trail benches, gazebos and/or shelters at scenic locations
• A wildlife observation deck and/or shelters at scenic locations
• A stream-crossing boardwalk at Arvah Branch
• Planting of native trees and vegetation and removal of exotic plants
• Construction of wildlife habitats, bird houses, bat houses
• Memorial gardens
• Pavilions for picnicking and gatherings at trailheads and near parking areas
• A handicapped-accessible hard-surface trail along the circumference of the Edenfield Meadow with connections to the picnic area and the Dove Pond overlook.